PD suspended for favoring Indians

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futuredoc15

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An East Tennessee State University College of Medicine faculty member and director of the school’s internal medicine residency program has been suspended from administrative duties pending an investigation into allegations of a hostile work environment existing in the program for some residents and the revealing of confidential information about some residents to others, according to documents obtained by the Johnson City Press.
What prompted the investigation was a letter, also obtained by the Press, sent June 2 from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Eduction to the college stating that two separate communications were sent to the accrediting body alleging that Brahmbhatt “greatly favors residents of Indian descent,” meets with a select group of residents at his house at night to discuss the program and other residents, that this select group has access to other residents’ personal information and test scores and that there is “great discrimination regarding duty assignments, distribution of rotations and work load among residents.” This letter also alleged that the resident work schedule was being created by first and second year Indian internal medicine and medical/psychology residents

Read more: http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=91836#ixzz1QnGiD5IG



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An East Tennessee State University College of Medicine faculty member and director of the school’s internal medicine residency program has been suspended from administrative duties pending an investigation into allegations of a hostile work environment existing in the program for some residents and the revealing of confidential information about some residents to others, according to documents obtained by the Johnson City Press.
What prompted the investigation was a letter, also obtained by the Press, sent June 2 from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Eduction to the college stating that two separate communications were sent to the accrediting body alleging that Brahmbhatt “greatly favors residents of Indian descent,” meets with a select group of residents at his house at night to discuss the program and other residents, that this select group has access to other residents’ personal information and test scores and that there is “great discrimination regarding duty assignments, distribution of rotations and work load among residents.” This letter also alleged that the resident work schedule was being created by first and second year Indian internal medicine and medical/psychology residents

Read more: http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=91836#ixzz1QnGiD5IG



I would probably wait to see what the evidence is against this guy. If the story is true, then we have a real problem.
 
I'm glad that the ACGME took the complaints seriously. Hopefully the truth will be uncovered and if the allegations are true then things will be cleaned up.

I think this is also a good reminder that we should not assume that the resident is the one with the problem when a resident complains about a program or a PD's behavior on here. PDs are just people, and people certainly can do irrational, prejudiced, vindictive, etc. things!
 
Another quote from the article:
The college was asked to investigate the allegations. Medical Dean Dr. Phil Bagnell and Dr. William Browder, the school’s executive associate dean for clinical affairs, determined that, “Sadly, many of the allegations are accurate,” according to a response back to the ACGME on June 16.

Read more: http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=91836#ixzz1Qp8ubx4e
 
What I don't get is how a junior faculty member is program director of not one but two departments. This should have been a red flag that the residency was regarded as more of a chore than an asset to this hospital. Although the dude was biased toward Indian residents, and the violation of privacy is a huge problem which requires his discharge, it's not actually clear from the story that non-Indian residents were exploited in terms of duty hours or rotations. Just because a resident of Indian descent makes up the schedule doesn't mean he's going to screw over his non-Indian colleagues. I think a lot of programs have chiefs of non-European ancestry who make up the schedules just fine. Let's not automatically assume that just because a PD is behaving unlawfully, that the residents he favors are also doing likewise.
 
What I don't get is how a junior faculty member is program director of not one but two departments. This should have been a red flag that the residency was regarded as more of a chore than an asset to this hospital. Although the dude was biased toward Indian residents, and the violation of privacy is a huge problem which requires his discharge, it's not actually clear from the story that non-Indian residents were exploited in terms of duty hours or rotations. Just because a resident of Indian descent makes up the schedule doesn't mean he's going to screw over his non-Indian colleagues. I think a lot of programs have chiefs of non-European ancestry who make up the schedules just fine. Let's not automatically assume that just because a PD is behaving unlawfully, that the residents he favors are also doing likewise.
I knew that you would post in this thread. At every turn and in every context you side with people in authority. I hope to God that you never practiced law as a criminal defense attorney. "Well, Mr. Client, the police said you committed the crime. Therefore, you are guilty." This theme runs constantly through your posts.

For the good of mankind, please refrain from EVER getting into a management position.
 
I knew that you would post in this thread. At every turn and in every context you side with people in authority. I hope to God that you never practiced law as a criminal defense attorney. "Well, Mr. Client, the police said you committed the crime. Therefore, you are guilty." This theme runs constantly through your posts.

For the good of mankind, please refrain from EVER getting into a management position.

You can set your watch by him (her?) coming out on the side of management/against the worker. Guaranteed. (But you already noted that.)

Now, for all interested parties, I am not derailing the thread, I am not "calling out" an individual, I am not making outrageous, unsupported claims, and I am not disparaging someone else's prior occupation (because that is "just rude"), irrespective of how one presents one's self, and the invective following.
 
This thread got me thinking about various posts I have read on SDN about how the massive increase in US med school enrollments will lead to IMGs being shut out of residency programs. However, there are probably many residency directors who are IMGs and there is no law saying that US grads must be picked over IMGs so I think a lot of these predictions of IMGs being pushed out may be wrong.
 
What I don't get is how a junior faculty member is program director of not one but two departments. This should have been a red flag that the residency was regarded as more of a chore than an asset to this hospital. Although the dude was biased toward Indian residents, and the violation of privacy is a huge problem which requires his discharge, it's not actually clear from the story that non-Indian residents were exploited in terms of duty hours or rotations. Just because a resident of Indian descent makes up the schedule doesn't mean he's going to screw over his non-Indian colleagues. I think a lot of programs have chiefs of non-European ancestry who make up the schedules just fine. Let's not automatically assume that just because a PD is behaving unlawfully, that the residents he favors are also doing likewise.

If you read the comments in the news article, you will see from the posts it is institution wide problem. Johnson city is not most romantic place on earth and many FMG leave once finished residency or waiver so perhaps hospital wants to save money by hiring any one who want to be PD or there are recruitment of faculty issues. Johnson city has one of the most liberal criteria to hire FMG which tells me they even have difficulty hiring top candidates to their program.
 
I knew that you would post in this thread. At every turn and in every context you side with people in authority. I hope to God that you never practiced law as a criminal defense attorney. "Well, Mr. Client, the police said you committed the crime. Therefore, you are guilty." This theme runs constantly through your posts.

For the good of mankind, please refrain from EVER getting into a management position.

Read my post again. I didn't side with the authority here. I said he should be fired, and that the hospital was pretty suspect for making a junior faculty member the PD of multiple departments, which should have been a red flag to anyone applying. :rolleyes:

I did suggest that his Indian charges were not necessarily guilty because the PD had integrity problems. Kind of the opposite of the presumed guilty example you gave.

If you want to come to conclusions about my posts, at least have the courtesy to read them first. And BTW, in my prior career I have held both management and employee roles.
 
What I don't get is how a junior faculty member is program director of not one but two departments. This should have been a red flag that the residency was regarded as more of a chore than an asset to this hospital. Although the dude was biased toward Indian residents, and the violation of privacy is a huge problem which requires his discharge, it's not actually clear from the story that non-Indian residents were exploited in terms of duty hours or rotations. Just because a resident of Indian descent makes up the schedule doesn't mean he's going to screw over his non-Indian colleagues. I think a lot of programs have chiefs of non-European ancestry who make up the schedules just fine. Let's not automatically assume that just because a PD is behaving unlawfully, that the residents he favors are also doing likewise.

Did you even bother to read the post or did you just see the first line and jump in to defend them?

What prompted the investigation was a letter, also obtained by the Press, sent June 2 from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Eduction to the college stating that two separate communications were sent to the accrediting body alleging that Brahmbhatt “greatly favors residents of Indian descent,” meets with a select group of residents at his house at night to discuss the program and other residents, that this select group has access to other residents’ personal information and test scores and that there is “great discrimination regarding duty assignments, distribution of rotations and work load among residents.”
 
Did you even bother to read the post or did you just see the first line and jump in to defend them?

Um yeah, I am not sure you actually read my post either. I said the dude should be fired for the privacy issues. I said the hospital shouldn't be making a junior faculty member PD of not one but two departments -- many places consider that an important enough role to put a single department under the charge of a senior faculty member with multiple assistants. So basically I said there were red flags even without the allegations.

I simply suggested that the PD appointing an Indian chief resident to make the schedules isn't necessarily indicative of exploiting the co-residents. Lots of programs around the country have non-European descent folks making the schedules. For whatever reason lots of people who don't actually read my posts assume some conclusions. Guess what -- you haven't read a representative fraction of my 20000 posts and don't really know what I'm about.
 
Um yeah, I am not sure you actually read my post either. I said the dude should be fired for the privacy issues. I said the hospital shouldn't be making a junior faculty member PD of not one but two departments -- many places consider that an important enough role to put a single department under the charge of a senior faculty member with multiple assistants. So basically I said there were red flags even without the allegations.

I simply suggested that the PD appointing an Indian chief resident to make the schedules isn't necessarily indicative of exploiting the co-residents. Lots of programs around the country have non-European descent folks making the schedules. For whatever reason lots of people who don't actually read my posts assume some conclusions. Guess what -- you haven't read a representative fraction of my 20000 posts and don't really know what I'm about.
Are you really denying that the vast majority of your posts come down on the side of authority? I defy you to show one example where a post of yours didn't read, "That's the way things are. It's a waste of time and counterproductive to rock the boat. Suck it up."

Your original post in this thread might not be as egregious as others, but the overall tone is still consistent with minimizing the situation, and that it really isn't all that bad. Plus, FYI, the article doesn't allege that the chief was an Indian, it says, "This letter also alleged that the resident work schedule was being created by first and second year Indian internal medicine and medical/psychology residents."
 
Are you really denying that the vast majority of your posts come down on the side of authority? I defy you to show one example where a post of yours didn't read, "That's the way things are. It's a waste of time and counterproductive to rock the boat. Suck it up."

Your original post in this thread might not be as egregious as others, but the overall tone is still consistent with minimizing the situation, and that it really isn't all that bad. Plus, FYI, the article doesn't allege that the chief was an Indian, it says, "This letter also alleged that the resident work schedule was being created by first and second year Indian internal medicine and medical/psychology residents."

Give me a break. In seven years and 22000 posts I have come down on all sides of issues. At any rate, it's inappropriate and a violation of TOS for folks to make these threads about an individual poster, and call them out. I weighed in on the above topic, and actually didn't defend the authority here, as I quite OFTEN DON'T, if you in fact had read more than a few dozen out of tens of thousands of posts I have made. Again, I'm not an appropriate subject for the discussion here and you guys need to cool it with the attacks and either discuss the issues of the thread or refrain from posting. This thread isn't about L2D, and commenting that L2D "always says X" is simply not appropriate.

As for whether they were chiefs or first year residents, I don't think that changes my point -- there are no allegations thus far that these residents did anything unfair, just that the PD did. Again, the PD should and did get fired for the privacy issues. My post called him acting unlawfully. The hospital should probably be required by the ACGME to put a more senior person in charge of each residency, and not lump them together as an afterthought, which I clearly suggested was a red flag. And anyone applying to residency should probably be wary of a place which puts junior faculty in charge of the residency program, let alone dividing their time amongst multiple programs. The better model is a more senior person with a staff of assistants. If a program does less, you can expect less from them, and weigh that option accordingly. I don't know how any of that is "minimizing the situation". Lets cool it with attacking folks for things not even said because of some false notion that you think you know how I post in "every other thread". Please.
 
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Um yeah, I am not sure you actually read my post either. I said the dude should be fired for the privacy issues. I said the hospital shouldn't be making a junior faculty member PD of not one but two departments -- many places consider that an important enough role to put a single department under the charge of a senior faculty member with multiple assistants. So basically I said there were red flags even without the allegations.

I simply suggested that the PD appointing an Indian chief resident to make the schedules isn't necessarily indicative of exploiting the co-residents. Lots of programs around the country have non-European descent folks making the schedules. For whatever reason lots of people who don't actually read my posts assume some conclusions. Guess what -- you haven't read a representative fraction of my 20000 posts and don't really know what I'm about.

I did read your post. I read very carefully the part where you said the following:

Let's not automatically assume that just because a PD is behaving unlawfully, that the residents he favors are also doing likewise.

And apparently, you once again, missed this from the original post:

meets with a select group of residents at his house at night to discuss the program and other residents, that this select group has access to other residents’ personal information and test scores

Or do you think that the "select group of residents" meeting at the PD's house to review their peers' personal information and test scores is completely lawful and above board? You're not really suggesting this "select group of residents" did nothing wrong, are you?
 
there are no allegations thus far that these residents did anything unfair, just that the PD did.

You're right. I'm certain the residents had no idea at all that they weren't supposed to have access to their peers' private files and test scores. They just figured it was their right.
 
This whole situation is pretty strange. Especially the part about the PD meeting with a group of only certain/specific residents at his house. Unless these "special residents" were the chief residents, this is pretty strange and can't really be defended. I think that most reasonable residents that I know would realize that this is improper, and also that interns or PGY2's making other residents' schedules is quite unusual to the point of being unheard of. Perhaps if these "selected residents" were straight from India or some other country, they might not be aware that this type of situation is considered improper/unethical. There might be a different business/training culture at Indian hospitals. So the PD is definitely the most "in the wrong" but all those allegations are pretty serious if they are true. IMHO it generally takes a lot for ACGME to get itself directly involved with a program so they must have had multiple sources telling them the same stuff and they must have been able to corroborate the allegations.
 
You're right....

I was talking about the making up of schedules, which the author implies must have been unfair simply because Indians were involved. We don't know that the same people were involved in the privacy issues, which I indicated in my first post i stated were the serious allegations here.
 
... and also that interns or PGY2's making other residents' schedules is quite unusual to the point of being unheard of...

I've seen settings where junior residents were responsible for making each others schedules, or at least the initial draft. As long as everyone gets the same amount of hours/overnights/ICU rotations, there aren't any rules about who handles the administrative details. It's actually sometimes easier if the juniors make up their own schedules rather than have a chief do it and have everyone end up trading stuff.

As for the privacy stuff, I'm not sure what a resident is supposed to do if a PD shares info with you that he shouldn't. The smart resident probably keeps his mouth shut and looks out for number one.
 
I've seen settings where junior residents were responsible for making each others schedules, or at least the initial draft. As long as everyone gets the same amount of hours/overnights/ICU rotations, there aren't any rules about who handles the administrative details. It's actually sometimes easier if the juniors make up their own schedules rather than have a chief do it and have everyone end up trading stuff.

As I do not want ANOTHER infraction for disagreeing with you, I shall just say that I don't believe you, due to other of your "tens of thousands" of posts. It might be wishful thinking, but I don't believe that which you've stated is true. If someone independently corroborates your statement, I shall then believe it, and I shall then appropriately publicly apologize.
 
I've seen settings where junior residents were responsible for making each others schedules, or at least the initial draft. As long as everyone gets the same amount of hours/overnights/ICU rotations, there aren't any rules about who handles the administrative details. It's actually sometimes easier if the juniors make up their own schedules rather than have a chief do it and have everyone end up trading stuff.

Except in this case, the ACGME received multiple complaints (to be accurate, two separate communications according to the article) that there are "great discrimination regarding duty assignments, distribution of rotations and work load among residents." Doesn't sound like the schedule made up by "selected residents" at the PD's home were that fair to everyone (and while residents complain about their schedule all the time, not sure how many will complain to the ACMGE, or have the ACMGE actually respond to such complaints, and have the college administration take administrative action after reviewing such complaints)
 
Except in this case, the ACGME received multiple complaints (to be accurate, two separate communications according to the article) that there are “great discrimination regarding duty assignments, distribution of rotations and work load among residents.” Doesn't sound like the schedule made up by "selected residents" at the PD's home were that fair to everyone (and while residents complain about their schedule all the time, not sure how many will complain to the ACMGE, or have the ACMGE actually respond to such complaints, and have the college administration take administrative action after reviewing such complaints)

Even so, the privacy issues appear to be what's damning.
 
If I were junior faculty with lots of ambition, I think I would jump at the chance to be a program director. Of course, once there I might realize I was in way over my head (ie, Mr. President?).
 
This whole situation is pretty strange. Especially the part about the PD meeting with a group of only certain/specific residents at his house. Unless these "special residents" were the chief residents, this is pretty strange and can't really be defended. I think that most reasonable residents that I know would realize that this is improper, and also that interns or PGY2's making other residents' schedules is quite unusual to the point of being unheard of. Perhaps if these "selected residents" were straight from India or some other country, they might not be aware that this type of situation is considered improper/unethical. There might be a different business/training culture at Indian hospitals. So the PD is definitely the most "in the wrong" but all those allegations are pretty serious if they are true. IMHO it generally takes a lot for ACGME to get itself directly involved with a program so they must have had multiple sources telling them the same stuff and they must have been able to corroborate the allegations.

I agree completely.

This sounds like a very strange and obviously inappropriate situation. The PD should clearly be reprimanded (or even discharged). Full stop. End of sentence. The residents participating in this issue clearly must have had a notion that meeting at the PD's house and being given sensitive data about their classmates was inappropriate.

I'm sure they have a personal side of the story, too, but this seems pretty blatantly wrong.
 
I was talking about the making up of schedules, which the author implies must have been unfair simply because Indians were involved. We don't know that the same people were involved in the privacy issues, which I indicated in my first post i stated were the serious allegations here.

As for the privacy stuff, I'm not sure what a resident is supposed to do if a PD shares info with you that he shouldn't. The smart resident probably keeps his mouth shut and looks out for number one.

Any excuse available...
 
I've seen settings where junior residents were responsible for making each others schedules, or at least the initial draft. As long as everyone gets the same amount of hours/overnights/ICU rotations, there aren't any rules about who handles the administrative details. It's actually sometimes easier if the juniors make up their own schedules rather than have a chief do it and have everyone end up trading stuff.

As for the privacy stuff, I'm not sure what a resident is supposed to do if a PD shares info with you that he shouldn't. The smart resident probably keeps his mouth shut and looks out for number one.

:laugh:

In what setting are interns and PGY-2's making their own schedules? The upper levels/chiefs make the schedule. Not interns or PGY-2's. If **** like this happens at your program, you should reveal the name of this program so that others will know to avoid said program at all costs.
 
I've really never heard of lower level residents making their own schedule, or making up schedules of other residents. However, I could see it happening at less well organized programs, or ones that operate very informally. At my IM program we really normally didn't trade a call night with someone else without having to OK it through one of the chief residents, and it didn't happen very frequently b/c it was discouraged. We could trade a call night with someone if we had a fellowship interview or something...or something else we could convince a chief was a really good reason. I was really surprised when I came to my current hospital/fellowship @the informality of certain things, and how the IM residents will trade calls with each other, etc.

I think this program (described in this post) is a typical example of what can happen when nobody is really watching what is going on, and 1 or 2 people start running everything and just do whatever they want. Sometimes, people can have very bad judgment. I think some hospital administrators, dept. chairs, the ACGME, etc. forget that attendings and program directors are just people and they can make mistakes, abuse power, etc. It's one of the reasons why dictatorship and monarchy aren't that successful as forms of government. Somehow the powers that be still feel that variations of these forms of government will create a great medical training environment. Or just maybe nobody has been able to figure out anything better. But I digress...
 
Nobody has stepped up yet and stated juniors make schedules. I believe that that is an untrue statement (also known as a "lie") by the person who posted it. If someone - anyone - would name names, then there would be substance.

However, if a user, in "tens of thousands" of posts, never posts anything - ever - of substance, but only opinions and unsourced facts (which, again, without proof, may indeed be lies), they contribute, ultimately, nothing, since all they've done is build sand castles and houses of cards. There is not a shred of permanence.
 
Nobody has stepped up yet and stated juniors make schedules. I believe that that is an untrue statement (also known as a "lie") by the person who posted it. If someone - anyone - would name names, then there would be substance.

However, if a user, in "tens of thousands" of posts, never posts anything - ever - of substance, but only opinions and unsourced facts (which, again, without proof, may indeed be lies), they contribute, ultimately, nothing, since all they've done is build sand castles and houses of cards. There is not a shred of permanence.

Every spring, we have two 2nd year (rising 3rd year) residents make our schedules.
 
Every spring, we have two 2nd year (rising 3rd year) residents make our schedules.

For the third year residents, too? And what do you mean, specifically, with "schedule" and "2nd year (rising 3rd year)"?

Do you mean daily schedules for the month, or the block schedule? And do you mean May or June (and will be seniors in 1-2 months), and, again, the block schedule? Then, in July, is it the same (now) seniors doing it, for 83% of the year?
 
For the third year residents, too? And what do you mean, specifically, with "schedule" and "2nd year (rising 3rd year)"?

Do you mean daily schedules for the month, or the block schedule? And do you mean May or June (and will be seniors in 1-2 months), and, again, the block schedule? Then, in July, is it the same (now) seniors doing it, for 83% of the year?

So in April of every year, we have two 2nd year FM residents sit down after getting schedule requests from everyone - everyone being current 2nd years, current 1st years, and incoming interns. They put together the schedule - in terms of who has what rotation during what month for the scholastic year that starts the day the new interns arrive. The monthly schedule that tells everyone what days they are on call for each month is usually ready about 2 months in advance of each rotation block, done by those same 2 residents. So for the first 2-3 months of a scholastic year, the call schedule is done by 2nd years. The rest of the year it is done by 3rd years (as those same 2 residents are now 3rd years).
 
So in April of every year, we have two 2nd year FM residents sit down after getting schedule requests from everyone - everyone being current 2nd years, current 1st years, and incoming interns. They put together the schedule - in terms of who has what rotation during what month for the scholastic year that starts the day the new interns arrive. The monthly schedule that tells everyone what days they are on call for each month is usually ready about 2 months in advance of each rotation block, done by those same 2 residents. So for the first 2-3 months of a scholastic year, the call schedule is done by 2nd years. The rest of the year it is done by 3rd years (as those same 2 residents are now 3rd years).

So no third year resident is being scheduled by juniors. That is the key. The two juniors are scheduling for when they become seniors.
 
Nobody has stepped up yet and stated juniors make schedules. I believe that that is an untrue statement (also known as a "lie") by the person who posted it. If someone - anyone - would name names, then there would be substance.

I am a junior (PGY2). I and the other 2nd years routinely make the call schedules for our cross-cover services. I also helped redesign our call system to meet the new work hour rules.
 
I am a junior (PGY2). I and the other 2nd years routinely make the call schedules for our cross-cover services. I also helped redesign our call system to meet the new work hour rules.

So you were an intern last month, and now you are scheduling 3rd year residents? And that is for every month of their 3rd year? If they are outpatient 9 or 10 out of 12 months, or in the unit, you can't really say that that counts. How many third years are on cross-cover services anyhow?
 
So you were an intern last month, and now you are scheduling 3rd year residents? And that is for every month of their 3rd year? If they are outpatient 9 or 10 out of 12 months, or in the unit, you can't really say that that counts. How many third years are on cross-cover services anyhow?

I can't answer the last of your questions, but despite the user name "southernIM" is a surgical resident, so it sounds as if they are scheduling for all levels of residents.

Because of man power issues and work hour restrictions, almost all surgical services are cross cover at night (ie, the resident on Colorectal Surgery will cover CRS, as well as Transplant and Surg Onc - for example). The programs are too small to have someone in for every service at night, so you always cross cover.
 
Every spring, we have two 2nd year (rising 3rd year) residents make our schedules.

For the third year residents, too? And what do you mean, specifically, with "schedule" and "2nd year (rising 3rd year)"?

Do you mean daily schedules for the month, or the block schedule? And do you mean May or June (and will be seniors in 1-2 months), and, again, the block schedule? Then, in July, is it the same (now) seniors doing it, for 83% of the year?

When you say, "spring," are you saying you were in a coiled position before you made the "schedule"? And what do you mean, you "make" the schedule? Are you implying that mtv show "made" is involved somehow? Your one sentence post is so confusing!!!! Name names or you're LYING!!!!!! House of cards!!!!
 
When you say, "spring," are you saying you were in a coiled position before you made the "schedule"? And what do you mean, you "make" the schedule? Are you implying that mtv show "made" is involved somehow? Your one sentence post is so confusing!!!! Name names or you're LYING!!!!!! House of cards!!!!

Dude, you're still creepy. Even more so.
 
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